Gadkalika

It is located on the suburban of Ujjain, Gadkalika Temple is devoted to Goddess Kalika. It is a famous Shakti Peeth of India and at the time of Navaratri, thousands of people assemble here. Kalika is supposed to be the Goddess of poet Kalidas, who is believed to have lived around the turn of the Christian era. This pretty shrine holds an astonishing legend which states that, Kalidasa, the great poet had obtained his actual skills by his genuine devotion to this deity. It is the temple where Kalidasa got his boon from Maa. The Maa with her beautiful eyes is a joy to behold. The present temple is not very old. It is believed that it stands in the same site where the older temple stood.

There are some scholars who believe that, during 7th century this ancient temple Kalika was reconstructed by King Harshwardhan of Thaneshwar when he visited Ujjain. It is indeed the most ancient temple of Ujjain. The former Gwalior rulers rebuilt this holy shrine to its former glory. Digging which was held near the temple premises unearthed bricks, a part of the plinth and other sculptures that were affiliated to various periods. The area around the Garh Kalika had been the site of the ancient settlement from around the 8th century BCE right upto Paramara period. Even today people find ancient coins in this area.